Aronian defeats Carlsen in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam final

Levon Aronian won the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 by beating Magnus Carlsen in the final.

The tournament was held in South Africa, and Aronian won the final with a score of 1.5–0.5.

Carlsen, who co-owns the tournament, had a disappointing run, losing to Aronian in the final.

Other notable players in the tournament included Vincent Keymer, who finished third, and Fabiano Caruana, who came in fifth.

Aronian praised his own performance and felt he had a clear plan to win.

Carlsen had earlier losses in the tournament against Erigaisi and Sindarov.